Overview & Reviews

Toyota is a Japanese brand whose refined, well-designed vehicles have earned it a great deal of popularity. Toyotas also have a superb record for reliability and durability, which goes a long way toward justifying their typically high purchase prices. For buyers who plan on owning their new vehicles for a long time, the Toyota marque is a very compelling choice.

The automaker's name is a variation of the surname of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. After years of research, Toyoda unveiled his first prototype, the A1, in 1935, marking the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The '40s witnessed the launch of additional passenger cars and even a pickup. By the end of the decade, the automaker had produced more than 100,000 vehicles.

Toyota grew bigger in the '50s and expanded its roster with a slew of new small cars. The company also unveiled the utilitarian BJ truck; this vehicle was the precursor to the Land Cruiser. By the end of the decade, Toyota had commenced exports to the U.S. with the establishment of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. The first Toyota to be sold on American shores was the Crown; it held the distinction of being the first Japanese car to be sold Stateside.

The '60s witnessed even more growth for the emerging juggernaut. Toyota introduced the Corolla, an immensely popular model that is still in production today. Vehicles like the home-market Publica, the 2000GT, Hiace and Miniace were also launched. The decade closed with Toyota reporting annual domestic sales of 1 million units; cumulative exports also reached 1 million.

Japanese-market cars like the Carina, Light Ace and Publica Starlet were launched during the 1970s. In the States, the Corolla grew in popularity and the Corona and Mk II models debuted as well. The successful Celica sports coupe was also rolled out and would remain in production for more than 30 years. Toyota's shadow had spread far beyond Japan by this point. The decade's oil crisis had made the manufacturer's compact, fuel-efficient models more popular than ever in the United States. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker had exported more than 10 million vehicles.

Toyota expanded its presence in the U.S. market during the '80s, with the introduction of popular models like the 4Runner SUV and the MR2 sports car. The true high point of these years, though, was the birth of the Toyota Camry sedan. Originally known as the Celica Camry in Japan, the car went on to be a hit of phenomenal proportions, earning kudos as America's best-selling car of the year time and time again.

During the '90s, Toyota rolled out the Avalon full-size sedan and expanded its selection of SUVs with the compact RAV4. By the end of the decade, more than 100 million Toyota vehicles had been produced in Japan. The company also proved itself on the cutting edge of new technology with the rollout of the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid. The car debuted in Japan in 1997; by 2001, the fuel-sipping sedan had made its way to American highways. Despite the presence of a growing number of competitors in its segment, the Prius continues to boast class-leading sales.

Toyota's current lineup is relatively extensive, including minivans, cars, trucks and SUVs. The brand remains extremely popular among savvy consumers who place a high value on quality and dependability.

User Reviews:

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  Trade in 98 limited for 04 - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By maved - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 1998 4x4 limited for a is great. The ride is definitely more car like for all those 2x4 people. Both my dad and I though still miss the 98-though the ride was lot more truck like. It was easier to know where your tires were at off road especially.Hopefully the new painted bumpers will perform like the old chrome ones thatlooked perfect after alot of rocks and branches flying at them. Overall it is very comfortable and nice driving vehicle which a few small design kinks. The interior material that is used to cover the doors is not very good with several bumps. In my old limited that material still looked new after five years.

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  great car - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By sc23 - March 12 - 2:00 am

  excellent drive and handling. one design flaw is high pithced noise the moon roof makes when open which is alleviated when the front passenger windows are slightly opened.

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  Seems just fine so far - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Andrea - March 11 - 8:13 pm

  So far I am enjoying the new Corolla. My last car was a 2000 Subaru wagon that died an untimely death; with only 170K I was hoping to get at least 8 more years out of it. However, the LE is far more luxurious than the Subaru. It seems to handle well despite the narrower wheelbase, the mileage (averaging 40MPG) is phenomenal & the car reasonably versatile for a sedan. The car has decent pickup (important in insane Atlanta traffic) and is stable on the highway. Its very comfortable on a long commute (anywhere from 35 minutes to three hours), & I can pack two Goldens and a Labrakita in it with ease if I have enough stinky tuna treats.

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  XRS is worth it - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Dave - March 11 - 7:26 pm

  I had purchased a Matrix XR...always wishing I had a Matrix XRS. I couldnt find one when I started looking again so I got the Corolla XRS and am loving it. Ive put 15000 miles on it in the last year. I purchased snow tires for winter as the summer rated tires suck in the snow and cold we have in Minnesota.

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  as Tony the Tiger would say "GREAT" - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Big Man - March 11 - 10:00 am

  After driving Toyota Land Crusiers in the past I was not happy to be paying the $65,000 for the new Land Crusier and opted for the more affordable Sequoia. I was not disapointed at all it has better performance and gets better mileage than the crusier. I see alot of people complaining about the little things on the vehicle, but let me tell you thats just what they are little things. When focusing on the big picture this is about as good as it gets. What a great SUV! And remember to buy one now before the Democrats make then illegal to drive!

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  2007 Camry SE - I4 - Auto - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By carnut1973 - March 10 - 9:18 pm

  Purchased my 2007 Camry SE, 4 cylinder, auto brand new in December 2006 to replace a car that was totalled in an accident. The Camry SE with the factory ground effects/spoiler/6-spoke alloys has a much better look than the other Camrys and that is the only reason I purchased it. Chose it over a slightly used 2005 Acura TSX-auto. The black cloth interior and special gauge lighting specific to the Camry SE also helped seal the deal. The Camry SE was comfortable, quiet, reliable, good on gas and as stated earlier, easy on the eyes.

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  Not as good as I thought I was getting - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By molly1206 - March 10 - 4:07 am

  Used to LeSabre. Avy does not have as many features, has a motor whine, and windows stick; trunk whams when closing. Overall ride is smooth, gas is good. Info display very limited. 1st and last; back to Buick. More bang for the buck.

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  Amazing on icy roads - 2009 Toyota Yaris
  By BIll McCabe - March 9 - 11:26 pm

  Ive always driven big cars like caddys, Lincolns, and even a 24 Lincoln stretch. The vehicle I turned in off lease to buy my Yaris was a 2005 Saturn Vue with a 3.0 6cyl and all the bells and whistles. I bought a baseline 2009 Yaris and was skeptical as to how well it would handle the roads and weather where I live. Today we had ice everywhere. In weather like this my Vue was useless but the Yaris handle the ice and the hills like a plow I swear never slipped once or even felt like it was going to. I will recommend this car to anyone who will listen I still think its a shoebox but man what it handles like a half track in bad weather.

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  The Echo Is Great! - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Bert - March 9 - 9:16 am

  The Echo is fun to drive, has plenty of room inside with super storage, has fantastic fuel economy and unparalleled realiability.

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  The Echo Is Great! - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Bert - March 9 - 8:43 am

  The Echo is fun to drive, has plenty of room inside with super storage, has fantastic fuel economy and unparalleled realiability.